Hunter Church: a third-generation bobsleigh pilot driving USA at Beijing 2022

Team USA men's bobsleigh pilot Hunter Church knows the lows of an Olympic Winter Games cycle, and at Beijing 2022 he’s looking to enjoy the highs.

The 25-year-old thought he would make his Winter Olympics debut at PyeongChang 2018 after he won the final North American Cup prior to the Games, and earned USA a third four-man sled spot in PyeongChang.

But he was not chosen to drive the sled at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and the proudest achievement of his young career turned into weeks of deep pain and reflection.

A third-generation bobsledder after his great uncle and father, Church completed his first bobsled run at the age of seven, with his dad Thomas.

After his family had settled in Cadyville, New York, about an hour north of Lake Placid, it gave him the chance to spend time with the sport and at the age of 12 he enrolled in a junior bobsleigh program, making him one of the youngest sliders there.

Church began training as a driver three years later in Park City and continued bobsledding throughout high school, before starting to compete internationally after he graduated.

His heroes from the sport are USA bobsledder John Napier, as well as five-time world champion and Vancouver 2010 champion Steven Holcomb, who died in 2017.

Church also took great inspiration from his father, and competing at an Olympic Winter Games was always Church's goal.

But following the disappointment of missing out at PyeongChang 2018, he considered quitting the sport which runs so deeply through his family.

He decided to persevere, but when he was then left off the US national team, he was again faced with the tough question around his future.

As fate would have it, another pilot pulled out from the national team and Church received the